My indoor cat has very itchy, bleeding ears. What can I do to help?

Question

Hello. My cat has very itchy ears and sometimes neck. He doesn't scratch any other parts. His ears are now bleeding because he scratches them so much. He is an indoors cat. He does not go out at all and has never had contact with other cats. The vet could not get a proper scrape of his skin to check for mites, but I cannot find another explanation. We tried changing his food, but it did not work. Can I use the bathing method described here without a proper diagnosis or would it be harmful? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Those ears are very red, which indicates that something is really irritating them. Ear mites could be a cause and can be easily treated for. Allergies is another common cause, but it's more likely to be related to the environment than it is food. Food allergies account from 5-15% of all allergies and require a proper elimination diet trial to diagnose the cause, so I wouldn't worry about switching around foods at this time. Bathing is a good idea, because it may remove the environmental allergin that is causing the problem. I would recommend bathing about once a week with cool water; using a shampoo and conditioner labeled for cats with oatmeal or aloe as ingredients. You can also get ear flush at the pet store. This will help treat/prevent ear infections and remove allergins. There are some good instructional videos on youtube that can show you how to properly do this. I recommend flushing once every other day for two weeks. However, this kitty needs some relief from the inflammation and it may be necessary for a trial treatment for ear mites. If the vet you went to before did not offer any sort of treatment options, then I would either ask for a follow-up visit or go to another vet for a second opinion. I hope that helps and Pequenino feels better soon.

My indoor cat has very itchy, bleeding ears. What can I do to help?

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